Patients randomised to dancing jumped higher and faster than their sedentary counterparts

15 Apr 2016

Greek dancing improves the jumping ability of elderly patients with heart failure, according to research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.1 Patients randomised to Greek dancing jumped higher and faster than their sedentary counterparts. Those who danced had stronger legs and could walk further.

Topic(s):

Cardiovascular Nursing

Rehabilitation

Heart Failure (HF)

Embargo: 15 April 2016 at 02:15 Greece time [01:15 CEST]

Athens, Greece – 15 April 2016: Greek dancing improves the jumping ability of elderly patients with heart failure, according to research published today in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.1 Patients randomised to Greek dancing jumped higher and faster than their sedentary counterparts. Those who danced had stronger legs and could walk further.

“Greek dancing is an important part of weddings and other celebrations, and is popular among older people,” said Zacharias Vordos, an exercise physiologist at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. “We believed dancing would increase the attractiveness of rehabilitation programmes for patients with chronic heart failure. This was the first study to assess the impact of traditional Greek dancing on jumping ability.”

The study included 40 Greek patients with chronic heart failure who were randomly assigned to a three month rehabilitation programme based on traditional Greek dancing or to their usual sedentary lifestyle. Exercise training took place at three municipal gyms and consisted of three 40 to 65 minute weekly sessions. Patients were 73 years old on average and none had done any exercise in the past year.

At the beginning and end of the study, the researchers tested patients’ jumping ability using a Myotest-Pro dynamometer. Jumping ability included jump height, amount of time the feet were in contact with the ground, and strength and speed during the jumps. In case patients were hard of hearing, both an audible alarm and visible signal from the researcher were used to tell patients when to start each jump.

Strength of the leg muscles was assessed with a leg-chest dynamometer. Endurance of the leg muscles was evaluated using the six-minute walking test.

There were no differences between groups in any of the measurements at the start of the study. After three months, patients who participated in Greek dancing jumped higher and faster than the sedentary patients. They also had stronger legs and could walk further, demonstrating more endurance.

When the researchers compared the performance of the dancing group at the start and end of the study, they found that their endurance and leg strength had improved by 10%, and they jumped 10% higher and around 6% faster. The sedentary group showed no change between the initial and final measurements.

“Our study shows that traditional Greek dancing improves strength, endurance and jumping ability in elderly patients with heart failure,” said Mr Vordos. “Patients who participated in Greek dancing jumped higher at the end of the training programme, probably because they had stronger leg muscles.”

He continued: “The physical benefits of Greek dancing should give patients more independence in daily life by helping them to walk and climb stairs. It should also improve their coordination and reduce their risk of falling and being injured. It is possible that Greek dancing also gives cardiac benefit as demonstrated by Zumba fitness programmes with Latin music.”

Mr Vordos concluded: “Attendance at the dancing sessions was more than 90% which suggests that this type of cardiac rehabilitation could attract more patients than the usual programmes. Traditional Greek dancing is enjoyable and sociable, and we have now shown that it leads to health benefits in elderly patients with chronic heart failure.”

Notes to editor

About EuroHeartCareEuroHeartCare is the annual congress of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). This year’s meeting is held in collaboration with the Hellenic Society of Cardiovascular Nursing.

About the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied ProfessionsThe Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (CCNAP) aims to promote excellence in Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions through practice education and research. In addition to nurses, allied health professionals belonging to the CCNAP include physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists, cath lab technicians, imaging and diagnostic technicians and therapists working in rehabilitation and prevention. The CCNAP is one of five Councils of the European Society of Cardiology.

About the European Society of CardiologyThe European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 95 000 cardiology professionals across Europe and worldwide. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

Information for journalists attending EuroHeartCare 2016

EuroHeartCare 2016 takes place 15 to 16 April in Athens, Greece, at the Megaron Athens International Conference Centre. The full scientific programme is available here.

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